LoginWhat vs. Which
Differences
Unlimited vs. Limited Options
"What" is used when there is no clear limit or definitive choice among the options, or when the speaker is asking for general information. For example, when you ask; 'What is your favorite color?' the person can choose many different colors.
"Which" is used when the speaker has a limited set of options in mind, or when they are choosing from a specific group. For example, you might ask "Which animal do you prefer, a dog or a cat?"
What is its name?
What do you need?
What do you do?
Which glass was mine?
Which finger do you feel pain in?
Which one is your father? The one with black shirts or the other?
Background Knowledge
When the question is asked with "what," it generally implies that the speaker has no specific knowledge of the options, or they are open to any response. When the question is asked with "which," the speaker has some background knowledge or a limited set of options in mind options, and the question is about choosing one of them.
Which president started the Vietnam war?
Which actor has won the most Oscars?
What happened during world war II?
'What' and 'Which' as Relative Pronouns
Both "what" and "which" can function as relative pronouns; however, when used as a relative pronoun, "what" changes into "that".
The house that is painted in blue looks different from the other ones.
The small animal which has thick long tail is a raccoon; not the one with the long neck.
Similarities
'What', 'Which', or Both?
In certain situations, "what" and "which" can be used interchangeably, but this typically happens when the speaker is referring to a small, defined set of options. In such cases, "what" can be used in a way that sounds similar to "which", especially when the set of options is already obvious from the context or when it’s a common situation.
What flight are you taking to Chicago?
Which flight are you taking to Chicago?
What movie do you want to watch?
Which movie do you want to watch?
Quiz:
Which question is asking about a limited set of options?
What do you need?
What happened during the meeting?
Which route should I take?
Choose the correct question word to complete the sentence.
"______ do you want for dinner?"
What
Why
Which
Match each sentence part in Column A with its correct continuation in Column B to form grammatically and contextually correct sentences.
Choose the correct word, to complete each sentence.
is your favorite type of music?
dessert do you want, the cake or the pie?
happened during the French Revolution?
is your plan for the weekend?
path leads to the nearest train station?
Fill out the table by selecting the correct question word: What or Which.
| Context | Question Word |
|---|---|
Asking about someone's favorite book without providing specific titles | |
Inquiring about a preferred dessert from a menu with three options | |
Questioning what happened during a historical event | |
Identifying a person among a group of two or three |
Comments
(2)
Recommended
